You remember Celtic manager, Gordon Stachan, third manager in our history to win three-in-a-row? Took us to the Champions League knock out stages for the first time, did much of this while comparative economics were moving against us, remember him? Is he the same Gordon Strachan who has transformed the Scotland national team’s results?
Gordon is unequivocally a successful manager but his Scotland team is performing far better than I thought possible when he took over what looked like a poisoned chalice. The most stunning fact of his record there is that they have not conceded a goal in three successive away games. Gordon’s Celtic covered 15 months, across two championship winning seasons, without keeping a single clean sheet away from home, no matter how lowly or distressed the opponent. Even good, experienced, managers learn, especially from their earlier troubles.
Jock Stein is viewed mostly through the prism of 1967 but during his final season as Celtic manager, 1977-78, the sentiment among many in the support was decidedly downbeat. Rangers (remember them, played in blue, I think?) would win their third title in four seasons, with two trebles thrown in for good measure. Celtic finished fifth in the league, Jock’s judgement was widely called into question.
At the time Leeds United were a top club in England and after Celtic sacked Jock they moved to secure him. Leeds had no doubts as to his abilities. A little over a month later the SFA offered him the Scotland job, which he took and excelled at, twice succeeding in World Cup qualifying campaigns. His talents were without question but stood in sharp contrast to how many in the support viewed him a few years earlier.
I don’t know if Jock was a better manager in 1982 and beyond than he was in 1978 but there’s a decent chance his football education didn’t stop when the trophies dried up at Celtic. Gordon Strachan is, like Jock was until the end, a student of the game. Neil Lennon is too, he is also receiving some of the reviews his illustrious predecessors would recognise. Gordon was an excellent Celtic manager but he’s better now, perhaps as a result of life’s experiences along the way.
It’ll be really interesting to see how Euro qualifiers reflect on the comparative progress of Gordon and Martin O’Neill, who for my money was a better manager than Mourinho when the latter deployed some of the best players in the world against Celtic in Seville, and needed to deploy every underhand trick in the book to come out on top.
I was blown away by the stunning contributions to our Mary’s Meals campaign yesterday. First in was an incredible £200 + £50 gift aid donation, followed by others, large and small, every one appreciated. Ignore those who would tell you society is dead. You can get involved here.
Seville, The Celtic Movement, launches this month.
“Porto were favourites and would go on to prove how good a team they were by winning the Champions League 12 months later. Their players would demonstrate their prowess across the world for the next decade. They had fabulous talent, so much so, that they should have aspired to better than the gamesmanship used during their run to the UEFA Cup and Champions League wins.”
Order yours below:
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New…ew ..sorry
some good tipping today lads.
day 2
1.30 royal boy
2.05 sam winner
2.40 dunguib
3.20 arvika ligeonniere
4.00 sire collonges
4.40 catgary
5.15 shanehill
Lads, tomorrow’s donkeys :
1.30 Faugheen
2.05 Corrin Wood
2.40 Calculated Risk
3.20 Sire de Grugy
4.00 A Stray Shot
4.40 Dawalan
5.15 Black Hercules
Good luck… fleagle1888
PF – considering it was the Festival and all those big fields, that was some tipping today. Cap would be doffed, if I hadn’t lost it when pashed at a previous CQN gathering!
Fleagle – I don’t know where you get the time for this mate, but it’s very much appreciated.
Anyway, Day 2 selections:
1.30 Faugheen
2.05 Smad Place
2.40 Sametegal
3.20 Captain Conan
4.00 Star Neuville
4.40 Violet Dancer
5.15 Killultagh Vic
Good luck all,
TTTT
Missed this yesterday (doh). Tomorrows guesses (!)
1.30…Royal Boy
2.05…Smad Place
2.40…Vendor
3.20…Kid Cassidy
4.00…Sire Collonges
4.40…Katgary
5.15…Killultagh Vic
Good luck folks….think we’ll need it
3 points? 3 measly points??? Only consolation i am taking is that surely to God I CANNOT do any worse tomorrow!
Or can I…..?
Will post my choices later today.
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
TTTT, the joys of excel – and lookup tables – takes away most of the pain…
:o)
fleagle1888
Greetings.
13:30 – Lieutenant Colonel.
14:05 – Carlingford Lough.
14:40 – Kaylif Aramis.
15:20 – Arvika Ligenniere.
16:00 – Big Shu.
16:40 – Astre De La Cour.
17:15 – Black Hercules.
Good luck everybody.
1:30 Faugheen
2:05 Morning Assembly
2:40 Dunguib
3:20 Captain Conan
4:00 Big Shu
4:40 Katgary
5:15 Black Hercules
Good Luck bhoys and well done PFAYR yesterday HH
1:30 Faugheen
2:05 Morning Assembly
2:40 Meister Eckhart
3:20 Captain Conan
4:00 Balthazar King
4:40 Dalawan
5:15 Vigil
Good luck everyone….think we’ll need it.
FAUGHEEN
BALLYCASEY
GET ME OUT OF HERE
CAPTAIN CONAN
BIG SHU
IVAN GROZNY
SHANEHILL
GOOD LUCK BHOYS !!!!!
if Ruby’s not on form today I’m screwed….and no more short head/ neck seconds
1.30 Faugheen
2.05 Carlingford Lough
2.40 Indevan
3.20 Sire De Grugy
4.00 Big Shu
4.40 Katgary
5.15 Black Hercules
Good Luck everyone.
DAY 2
1.30 Faugheen
2.05 Ballycasey
2.40 Dunguib
3.20 Sire De Grugy
4.00 Balthazar King
4.40 Katgary
5.15 Black Hercules
hail hail
Morning all
1.30 Lieutenant Colonel
2.05 Don Cossack
2.40 Vendor
3.20 Captain Conan
4.00 Sire Collonges
4.40 Cadoudoff
5.15 Killutagh Vic
Good luck
Royal boy a n/r in the first.
Firstly,congrats and commiserations to PF AYR on a great,but so nearly faffin’ brilliant,bit of tipping yesterday. Yer on a roll these days,mate. If I had any sense I would just write-same as him-on my slips!
But I don’t,so here goes….
RED SHERLOCK
GEVREY CHAMBERTIN
DELL’ ARCA
HINTERLAND
BALTHAZAR KING
DAWALAN
MODUS
I hope we all do better than yesterday!
Oops sry I missed out yesterday thanks to LIVIBHOY who tried to point me in the right direction unfotunately bloody work kept me away from timternet till it was too late
Anyhoo
Here are my day 2 selections
1:30 RED SHERLOCK
2:05 BALLYCASEY
2:40 BANYAN
3:20 CAPTAIN CONAN
4:00 BIG SHU
4:40 CATGARY
5:15 SHANESHILL
GOOD LUCK ALL
And thanks FLEAGLE
My 4:40 selection should be KATGARY Sry for any confusion
1.30…can i substitute Red Sherlock for Royal Boy (n/r)
HH
1.30 RED SHERLOCK
2.05 MANY CLOUDS
2.40 DELL ARCA
3.20 CAPTAIN CONAN
4.00 BIG SHU
4.40 IVAN GROZNY
5.15 VIGIL
CHEERS FLEAGLE
OK here’s today’s one to avoid
1.30: Red Sherlock
2.05: Le Bec
2.40: Bayan
3.20: Arvika Ligeonierre
4.00: Balthazar King
4.40: Katgary
5.15: Shaneshill
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
1.30 – FAUGHEEN 6/4
2.05 – DON COSSACK 14/1
2.40- DELL ARCA
3.20 – SOMERSBY 16/1
4.00 – BALTHAZAR KING 6/1
4.40 – NOBLE INN
5.15 – SILVER CONCORDE
Day 2 Bingers
1.30 – Cup Final
2.05 – Bally Casey
2.40 – Bayan
3.20 – Captain Conan
4.00 – Balthazar King
4.40 – Ballyglasheen
5.15 – El Na Moose
Good luck to all punting. Much harder than yesterday for betting today.
LB
lasangne
1.30 red sherlock
2.05 many clouds
2.40 Far West
3.20 Captain Conan
4.00 uncle Junior
4.40 Baradari
5.15 Joshua Lane
1.30 – Red Sherlock
2.05 – O’Faolin’s Boy
2.40 – Whisper
3.20 – Kid Cassidy
4.00 – Sire Collonges
4.40 – Ivan Grozny
5.15 – Value at Risk
Classic winning selections via classic method of pin-sticking; made a hell of a mess of me smartphone screen, mind…
Can I please replace non runner, Royal Boy in the 1.30 with
Faugheen?
Thanks,best of luck.
EC67
Faugheen 1330
Black Thunder 1405
Whisper 1440
Hinterland 1520
Bishopsfurze 1600
Catgarry 1640
Silver Concorde 1715
Best of luck everyone.
Wow…
not that I’m biased, or anything… but what a fantastic display of jumping and jockeyship by Sire de Grugy and Jamie Moore !
Awesome…
Day 2 leaderboard :
twists n turns, som mes que un club, eddieinkirkmichael, and FrankMarker all found 3 winners today… PFayr is hanging on in there… and last year’s winner, Cathal is hot on their heels…
twists n turns 34.73 56.50 91.23
Som mes que 23.00 66.50 89.50
PFayr 51.50 24.50 76.00
eddieinkirkmichael 23.00 50.75 73.75
Cathal 38.73 32.25 70.98
Eurochamps67 32.23 32.25 64.48
valentinesday 33.73 28.50 62.23
FrankMarker 10.73 43.25 53.98
tommytwiststommy36.50 16.50 53.00
BMCUWP 33.73 14.00 47.73
Hutchybhoy 24.23 22.50 46.73
Sandman 0.00 46.00 46.00
fleagle1888 15.73 24.25 39.98
16 Roads 3IAR 31.73 3.00 34.73
green T 23.73 10.00 33.73
The Token Tim 3.00 27.00 30.00
Bada Bing 25.00 3.00 28.00
LiviBhoy 8.00 17.00 25.00
voguepunter 13.73 3.00 16.73
MHARK67 0.00 16.00 16.00
Hotel de Paris 13.50 0.00 13.50
call me Gerry 0.00 10.00 10.00
whitedoghunch 5.00 3.00 8.00
Day 3 selections :
1.30 Wonderful Charm
2.05 Seefood
2.40 Dynaste
3.20 Big Bucks
4.00 Firth of the Clyde
4.40 Saint Are
Good luck to everyone…
fleagle1888
Day 2 Leaderboard (totals)
twists n turns 91.23
Som mes que un club 89.50
PFayr 76.00
eddieinkirkmichael 73.75
Cathal 70.98
Eurochamps67 64.48
valentinesday 62.23
FrankMarker 53.98
tommytwiststommyturns 53.00
BMCUWP 47.73
Hutchybhoy 46.73
Sandman 46.00
fleagle1888 39.98
16 Roads – 3IAR 34.73
green T 33.73
The Token Tim 30.00
Bada Bing 28.00
LiviBhoy 25.00
voguepunter 16.73
MHARK67 16.00
Hotel de Paris 13.50
call me Gerry 10.00
whitedoghunch 8.00
Woot woot, 3 winners today. Must have been a fluke as I can’t usually pick my nose.
Taquin Du Seuil
Broadway Buffalo
Dynaste
At Fishers Cross
Nadiya De La Vega
Twirling Magnet
day 3 picks
1.30 Double Ross
2.05 Mister Dillon
2.40 Benefficient
3.20 Annie Power
4.00 Tatenen
4.40 Cause of Causes
Cheers fleags
1.30 Wonderful Charm
2.05 If In Doubt
2.40 Benefficient
3.20 Annie Power
4.00 Tap Night
4.40 Buddy Bolero
Good luck everyone.
I hate Cheltenham. And I love Cheltenham.
Day out in Prestwick pubs taking in the racing. Discarded my first and last picks, went for a Canadian on the middle five races, changed my mind and lef tout the doubles, backed on £3 trebles and upwards, got first two winners up – 12/1, 14/1 (£585!!! going on ANY nag in last three!) and squirmed for the last three races waiting on only one more winner for a four-figure return.
Bugger-all came up. Glue factory becons. Classic gambler’s misery.
Only respite was amusement at missus’ shopping list going from Ferrari to Faberge to Ferrero Roche to Findus as the donkeys trundled home.
Anyway, Day Three’s wonderful agony is:
1.30 – Taquin Du Seuil
2.05 – Grand Vision
2.40 – Al Ferof
3.20 – Salubrious
4.00 – Sraid Padraig
4.40 – There’s No Panic
Day Three
1:30 Wonderful Charm
2:05 Jossie’s Orders
2:40 Menorah
3:20 Annie Power
4:00 Balnagour
4:40 Indian Castle
Best of luck everyone.
EC67
Sandman – can’t believe you didn’t clean up with those winners today!
Some great tipping on day 2 with Twisty moving top after two very consistent days…well done, auld yin!
Day 3 donkeys as follows:
1:30 Vukovar
2:05 Cross Kennon
2:40 Rajdhani Express
3:20 Annie Power
4:00 Johns Spirit
4:40 Spring Heeled
Tally Ho!
TTTT
day 3 guesses…
1.30 oscar whisky
2.05 fingal bay
2.40 benefficient
3.20 annie power
4.00 colour squadron
4.40 indian castle